


it's been a long day (without you, my friend)

by imalivebecauseirondad



Series: coming back to you [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Fix-It, Gen, I refuse to let him, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Canon Fix-It, This friendship is underrated, Tony won't die, in a weird way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:07:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imalivebecauseirondad/pseuds/imalivebecauseirondad
Summary: Tony Stark is a stubborn man.This is a fact. He knows it, Tony knows it, the world knows it- everyone knows it.So, Rhodey reflects, staring at his best friend. It only makes sense he'd be too stubborn to die.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark
Series: coming back to you [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1735963
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	it's been a long day (without you, my friend)

**Author's Note:**

> there isn't nearly enough Rhodey and Tony content in this fandom and i'm disappointed.

Tony Stark is a stubborn man.

This is a fact. He knows it, Tony knows it, the world knows it- everyone knows it.

 _So,_ Rhodey reflects, staring at his best friend. _It only makes sense he'd be too stubborn to die_.

* * *

It happens like this.

At the funeral, Rhodey doesn't cry.

He grieves, of course. But he doesn't shed a single tear, and other than when he saw the message Tony recorded.

He refuses to believe someone so amazing, so full of life, could die. Just like that. It was impossible, for Tony, _his_ Tony, to just blink out of existence. There one moment, gone the next.

Pepper confesses that she feels the same way, when he finally gets around to talking to her.

"He's always come back," she tells him, staring out at the lake. "Always. And-and we always wait for him, right? A part of me knows he isn't coming back this time, but...I can't stop waiting for him to come back to us."

This, Rhodey thinks, describes a lot of how he feels. But the thing is, he's known Tony longer than Pepper. He knows just how damn stubborn and smart his best friend is- _was,_ he reminds himself, because he has to remind himself. Tony's...gone. For real, this time.

But it doesn't make sense to him. Tony, of course, would never hesitate to sacrifice himself to save his family and the rest of the world. But he remembers the grief in Tony's eyes when he talked about Peter, the love that shone on his face when he looked at Morgan, the happiness that was clear as day when he looked at anyone he loved.

It just doesn't seem fair for him to die when he has the most to live for.

"Rhodey?" He's startled out of his thoughts by Happy, who gives him a sad smile. "We're going in, if you want to come."

When he speaks, his voice sounds hoarse. "I'll come in a bit."

Happy nods and leaves Rhodey to wipe away tears he hadn't even noticed were welling.

Because that's the truth, isn't it? It isn't fair for Tony, a man who gave and gave and gave and never got anything in return, to have to die when he wanted to live the most. It isn't fair that someone who just deserved a goddamn _break_ had to give his life, after sacrificing so much already.

It's not _fair._

* * *

Two months after the battle, Rhodey isn't coping any better.

He isn't coping at all actually. He's just ignoring his grief completely, as if that'll make Tony come back.

He's been diving into work, trying to distract himself from the ever growing pit of loneliness inside him, the absence of his best friend, his brother. He's been staying at the lake house. It's filled with painful memories, and yet he can't bear to live somewhere else.

Right now, he's looking for the helmet Tony recorded his message on. Panic flares when he can't find it. He can't- he _can't_ lose this, lose another piece of Tony, lose him all over again, he can't, he _can't_ -

Clothes messy, legs aching, Rhodey forces himself to get up, heading downstairs as fast as he can, refusing to let phantom pains from the battle against Thanos hold him back. Just thinking of the battle makes his lip curl, before his anger is swept away with grief as the loss of Tony makes itself present all over again.

Blinking furiously, he looks in the living room. Pepper is sitting on the couch, wearing one of Tony's old t-shirts. The helmet is held loosely in her hands, and she's staring in the distance with a strangely happy expression on her face.

"Pepper?" he asks hesitantly, making his way towards her. Morgan's toys are scattered around the room, along with a few things that belong to Peter, who's only just come back from an overseas school trip. "Did something happen?"

When she meets his gaze, the expression doesn't disappear. She looks like her dream just cam true, and she isn't sure it's real. "Rhodey. I- how do I even..."

She trails off, staring at the helmet in her hands, a smile spreading across her face. A single tear drops onto the surface of the helmet. He traces it's path downwards with his eyes, staying silent.

"I was outside," she starts, clearing her throat. "I...I had this with me. And-and I was thinking about Malibu. When the mansion was attacked. Tony...Tony left me a message on the helmet, and I guess I was still hoping he'd come back, you know?"

Rhodey isn't sure where this is going, but he nods slowly. "Yeah...I know the feeling."

"I put it on," she tells him, eyes shining. A feeling that's uncomfortably familiar to hope starts to bloom, and he swallows.

"And?" he prods. 

"His voice. His voice- he's _alive,_ I don't know how- _he_ didn't seem to know how, but he's alive, and he was in Tennessee with Harley Keener, and-and he sent me a message- Rhodey, he's _alive_."

Rhodey shakes his head, eyes blurring. "Tell me you're not joking," he whispers, voice trembling, because he, he doesn't think he can get over it if this is just some cruel joke.

"I would never," Pepper says, and now tears are rolling down her face too.

"He's alive," he says. "He's _alive,_ that stubborn son of a bitch, he's alive."

She laughs through her tears, and then they're somehow on the floor, clutching each other and sobbing.

 _I knew it,_ Rhodey thinks. _I knew it._

* * *

He's the second one to meet Tony, Pepper being the first. Peter isn't here, which is surprising, but according to his aunt he had a rough time at the trip, and he's been ignoring all calls and texts.

"You want me to tell him something?" she'd asked. Rhodey had hesitated, before telling her no, it's okay, he'll tell the kid in person.

He wonders if that was a good idea, but he can't bring himself to care right now, because goddamnit it, it's _Tony_ in front of him, alive and healthy.

"Hey, platypus," Tony says, an easygoing smirk on his face, like he hadn't come back from the dead. "You miss me?"

Rhodey crushes him in a hug, feeling his solid and familiar weight in his arms as Tony returns the hug. "Damn right I did," he mutters into his shoulder, feeling his tears soak into his best friend's shirt. He sniffs and pulls away.

"You- I was a wreck," Rhodey says. He can already see the guilt brewing in Tony's eyes. "But I knew you'd come back, some way or another. You're too damn stubborn not to."

Tony chokes on a laugh, tears shining in his eyes, and dammnit, Rhodey's crying now too. Tony wraps his arms around him, and he gladly accepts the hug, sniffling. "I'm never leaving you again, Rhodey."

"Never," he agrees. "At least not until we're both old and Morgan and Pete have their own families."

"We'll go together," Tony offers. _Like we've always done it. Together._

"Together," Rhodey muses. "That sounds nice."

It sounds very nice, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me abt these two on [tumblr](https://a-cannibalistic-elephant.tumblr.com/)


End file.
